The Oris Aquis debuted barely over a decade ago. Thanks to its charming good looks and mass appeal, the dive collection has quickly blossomed into the Swiss independent watchmakers top performer. The Aquis has since spawned a myriad of executions. Last year, and not a moment too soon after entering its teens, this flagship diver popped its cherry. Having won many hearts, the Aquis Date Relief Cherry has grown in size, returning in a bigger and bolder 43.5mm build. For those who couldnt get their hands on (or wrists in) it, now its your chance.Who would have thought that a dive watch with a sunburst red dial would cause such a stir? Well, it did. It was fire. Rob knew it as he rushed out the ...
Thomas here, resident Oris fan. I m happy to announce another summer release from Oris and another two limited editions, this time in partnership with the humanitarian organization Wings of Hope. Wings of Hope is a nonprofit that uses small aircraft to provide medical support to vulnerable communities. The watches are in the newest style of Oris s Big Crown line, naturally - pilot-inspired watches for an inspiring pilot organization. They use the formidable Calibre 401 as well. And we see another gold option from Oris, elevating an already classy design.Oris is honing its craft. Sure, the Calibre 400 and its variants speak to the brand s technical developments. But I m talking more about Ori...
If youre a regular reader here on the pages of Fratello, youre likely well aware of the Fortis Stratoliner. The new Stratoliner is a complete redesign and revamp of the old Stratoliner collection with the modern-day space traveler in mind. Not only that, but Fortis also sent the watch up to the stratosphere on a balloon last November to conduct real-time environmental testing on its new WERK-17 caliber (made by La Joux-Perret). No, the stratosphere is not actual space, but the next stage of the testing program will see Stratoliner watches launched into outer space on a sounding rocket.Thats all pretty cool, right?! I was present at the Swedish Space Center along with Rob last year, and you c...
When I set out on an hours-long drive, I always have a 12-hour chronograph on my wrist. If I had to make an exception, a wild card would go to the one and only Seiko Motorist. If there were one, that is…A time-only watch doesn t belong behind a steering wheel. When I read what I just wrote out loud, it sounds hard to believe, even to myself. Well, what I can do when I feel it that way? I don t care what s on my wrist when driving to the office. The drive is not the purpose, but rather, a necessary action to get to the office. When I set out on a three-to-five-hour trip, however, the time behind the wheel is a part of the experience. Do I need a chrono when driving?I know it s irra...
We re back again for another Sunday Morning Showdown! Last week was a titanic battle. But do you know where the Titanic is? It s 3,800 meters deep and 690 kilometers southeast of Newfoundland (thanks, Wikipedia). Today s watches both comfortably reach that depth and beyond. For comparison, the Longines from last week is only capable of reaching 100 meters. The Deepsea Sea-Dweller and Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep take the plunge even further than the Titanic. But which extreme diving watch is the one for you? Vote at the end and let us know your thoughts in the comments section.Unlike other longstanding professional models, the Sea-Dweller has not enjoyed a continuous run through...
Ah, Bulova. A brand with 145 years of watchmaking history and releases that are hit or miss. From collections honoring the iconic American motorcycle brand Harley Davidson to neat WWII re-creations, Bulova has a knack for releasing contradictory collections, some of which are subpar and others objectively cool. The brand jumped on the bandwagon of leafing through old catalogs to see what would be cool to reissue. After releasing an updated Oceanographer - the ubiquitous Devil Diver - and the Surfboard, the brand just released a re-creation of its 31008-6W Parking Meter from 1973.Before we get into the review, let me ask you something: what do you actually use your chronograph for? To time ho...
Cuba may be an unlikely place of origin for a luxury watch brand. One such name, however, indeed originated from the Caribbean island all the way back in 1882. For a long time, Cuervo y Sobrinos was one of the most prominent jewelers in Latin America. Located in the heart of Havana, the prestigious boutique would count distinguished figures as faithful patrons, including Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, and Ernest Hemingway. In a twist of fate, the now Swiss-owned Cuervo y Sobrinos has engaged in a partnership with the family of the latter. The result is a new watch model named after the American literary icon, the Historiador Hemingway.Once-forgotten legacyCuervo y Sobrinos may be a new ...
Todays review is quite a special one. Gerard and I took on the task of reviewing two Vaer dive watches, the Arctic and the Meridian. To do so, we decided to work together but also split up. Id stay here in The Hague and wear the Vaer Meridian in my day-to-day activities at Fratello HQ. Gerard, on the other hand, would take the Vaer Arctic to Croatia for a week of scuba diving. I know, I know- It hardly seems fair. But I agreed to take up the desk-diving mantle while Gerard jetted to the Mediterranean. This way, wed be able to fully cover the usage cases of these watches and see how theyd perform both in their intended work environment and in a more realistic daily scenario.You might remember...
Daily beater. It s a term we hear quite often in the world of watches, but what it means to each one of us is personal. Some will tell you that a cheap Seiko is the perfect daily beater, while for others, a Submariner is the ideal choice. For this short list, we decided to go in the vein of the former. We have established some principles as guidelines for our choices, but at the end of the day, guidelines are just that. Nothing is set in stone when it comes to great daily wearers. We did, however, want to take the opportunity to see what is out there. Let s take a look at some of the best daily beaters on the market today.The term daily beater might sound negative at first, but give it some ...
I ll be honest with you: when the Seiko SPB317J1 arrived at Fratello HQ for a first impression, I didn t even realize it was a re-edition. What I did know, however, was that it could very well be my next Seiko diver. I was actually looking at the SPB151J1 Captain Willard re-edition. But I always found the Willard case a bit too bulky for my wrist, no matter how big or small it was. When I saw the SPB317J1 s slender C-shaped case in combination with the slightly smaller bezel and the short lug-to-lug, I almost ordered the watch without even trying it first. Now that I ve owned it for about a month, I can tell you if it lived up to my high expectations!As I said, I wasn t really aware of the 1...
My Bosphorus Leather obsession runs deep. Now, just a couple of years after discovering this charming Turkish leatherworker, I own six separate Bosphorus products. In my opinion, the material quality has been consistent from day one of my relationship with the brand, but the refinement of the company s output has improved release on release. Last week, I received an eight-watch storage case in crocodile leather and an olive green hexagonal watch roll in Togo calf leather. As they make such an attractive chromatic pair, I thought I d buddy them up in a single review.I ve gone on record recently claiming to own 77 watches. At one point in my life, at least, that was true. I m not sure if 77 wa...
After two years of limited air travel, 2022 is already fulfilling my summer holiday quota. In June, I went on back-to-back trips from the Algarve in Portugal to Dubrovnik in Croatia. Both destinations were booked in 2019 for 2020 and subsequently postponed each year until this one. After three years in the making, I was ready to soak up the sun and culture and engage in a little R&R. Accompanying me was the Omega Seamaster 300. Find out why I chose this watch and how it performed.The Seamaster 300 has been my trusted companion since 2021. I knew at the time of purchase that adventure awaited me and this watch. You can read why I bought it here, but the short answer is that the Seamaster ...
I was surprised by how versatile green straps are. I realized this morning, completely by accident, how rich in tones and diverse in styles my green-strap collection is! It s quite a special day today. For the first time in a long time - wait… the first time ever! - both our one-year-old and three-year-old kids won t sleep at home. Yes, it s a summer date night, finally! I pulled out a striking lemon shirt that my wife bought for me (and loves so much) to pair with my favorite olive-green knitted shorts. Dressed like a picture, I opened the safe and began my sacred daily ritual - selecting a watch.A lineup of green strapsQuite unexpectedly, I lined up four gold watches, pondering which...
The 1980s is an era that carries a lot of fond memories for me. I was born in 1977, so the 80s made up a large part of my childhood. It s also the decade that most people consider responsible for questionable style and design. In the watch universe, we have, for the most part, embraced the icons of the 1980s. I know I have. Even the quirky ones! One of the famous quirky watches of the decade is the Citizen Aqualand Depth Meter. Launched in 1985, it was the first watch to incorporate an electronic digital depth gauge. I always loved seeing these watches. Now, almost forty years later, Citizen has introduced two modern models based on that 1985 icon. I had a chance to try the Promaster Aquala...
Athletes have always been in the spotlight. Some have even turned into style icons. George Best (1946C2005) was probably the first football player to reach playboy status because of his swagger. Yes, the Northern Irish winger for Manchester United from 1963 to 1974 was a truly phenomenal player, but he was also known as a hard-partying, womanizing, and fashion-conscious jet-setter. You either wanted to be like him or be with him. Unfortunately, it didnt end well for Best, but lets not get into that right now. Instead, let s stick with watches and style. Best would have rocked a red-dialed Heuer Carrera reference 2447 if only Jack Heuer had released such a colorful version back in the day. He...
The Strap Check series is a favorite of mine as I am an unrepentant strap-a-holic. If I look down at my wrist, chances are that the watch Im wearing is on one of four or five straps that I like to swap around. It is by far the easiest way to renew a watch while keeping one s collection small and focused (despite how much I struggle with the latter). Some straps, however, find their forever home, and in this case, that is true for a Kaufmann alligator strap on a very special Dutch watch.I could easily name my bespoke Holthinrichs Ornament The One, the watch that I will never sell. It is one of my more expensive pieces, but thats not the reason. I got it to mark a big birthday in 2020, and no,...
To some of you, it may come as a surprise to hear that I first got my hands on the Seiko SPB143 only a couple of weeks ago. The watch has been out for a couple of years now and has quickly become a crowd favorite. Its readily available at most Seiko ADs and boutiques, and Seiko HQ was happy to send one over for me to check out and review. But there was a certain build-up of expectations that took place over the last year and a half because the model became widely popular. I saw it almost every day on my Instagram feed.Expectations were high, and sometimes that makes for a disappointing reality. Therefore, my idea was to allow the hype and expectations to die down before finally meeting a wat...
And we re back! French watches are very popular, apparently. After my original article featuring a spread of French watchmaking was published, the Fratelli clamored that I had overlooked some of the best. Well, we listened, and now I m back with Part II, looking at the two brands people mentioned most. Also in this article are some young independent watchmakers who are making waves in the hand-crafted realms of horology. Without further ado, let s see why Baltic and Yema are fan favorites and what watchmakers Theo Auffret and Cyril Brivet-Naudot bring to the table.French watchmaking is undergoing a second renaissance. It s no wonder, considering France s long history with horology. A border ...
To some, this article might look like a tedious one full of numerical jibber-jabber. But it aims to be a write-up about comfort and, specifically, how well larger watches can wear, even if they shouldn t fit your wrist. Consider, for instance, the Seiko Tuna.With a case diameter of roughly 50 millimeters, a real-deal monobloc Seiko Tuna seems way too large for most of us to wear. On the contrary! It does wear quite comfortably, even on smaller wrists. How come? It s all about what is generally known as lug-to-lug distance and, in this case, the lack thereof. To explain and visualize differences in watch sizes, lug-to-lug, and spring-bar-to-spring-bar dimensions, I ll use four Seiko divers w...
The holidays, finally! I am writing this article during my holidays to make it even more realistic. On my wrist is my holiday companion since 2019, the Omega Seamaster PloProf 1200M. Sea-Dweller 16600Watches I bring on my holidaysFor holidays in the past, I used to bring a Seamaster 300M, Sea-Dweller, Speedmaster Professional, or my Marinemaster 300. Most of the time, it was a combination of the above. But I decided to travel light this year because I dont want to leave a watch (or multiple watches) unattended in a cabin or hotel room these days.Vintage and modernThe Omega Seamaster PloProfAfter seeing one of my friends using the Seamaster PloProf 1200M as his daily companion for many years,...
